Chain-controlling device



May 11 1926.

1,584,198 H. P. STEVENS CHAIN CONTROLLING DEVICE @riginal Filed May 20,1924 www? fao

jatented May il,

HARRY r. s'rnvENs, on Nnjv YORK, N. Y.

T FFIC..

Original application :filed May 20, 1924, Serial No. 714,624. Dividedand 1925. Serial No. 31,891.

rlhis invention relates to improved means for controlling sprocketchains such as those used for raising and loweringA and adjusting theposition of windows of various enclosures, particularly glass windowsfor automobile bodies and doors. However, this invention is not limitedto this particular use and is applicable to many other uses which willbe apparent to those skilled in the art. a

The object of this invention is to produce means for guiding andcontrolling the action of sprocket chains which are used for producing athrust and pulling actions, ac-

cording to the direction in which the chain is operated, by means of asuitable driving mechanism such 'as asprocket wheel. The arrangementdescribed herein is particularly applicable to the operation ofautomobile windows above referred to, which appara-tus I have describedand claimed in my original application for Letters Patent filed May 20,1924, Serial No. 714,624, of 4which the present application is adivision. The arranfrement described in said originalapplicationcomprises a sprocket wheel adapted to engage a sprocket chainwhich comprises block links having pivoted thereto side plates or links,the ends of which abut against each other so that the chain is madeincapable of being flexed from 'a' straight line in one direction butis'rfree yto be flexed in the opposite direction, so that itmay 4passVfreely over and around-'thesprocket wheel. Then the links of this chainare in alignment, the same acts as a stid rod `upon which a thrust'maybe placed in order to force the window downward. It will be apparentthat when sprocket chains of this type are subject to allongitudinalthrust, there is' a possibility that they will bend or be bowed in thedirection in which the eX- ing is not -opposed by the abutting linksand, furthermore, since the actionof the sprocket Wheel is one whichtends more or less to cause the links to rise or -n1ove radially `fromthe teeth of the sprocket wheel,means are required to prevent these twopossible occurrences. The object of the present inyenthis applicationfiled May 21,

tion, therefore, is to provide such means in an efficient and simplenianer.

For a. detailed description of one form of the presentV invention whichI at present deem preferable, reference may be had to the followingspecification and toL the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof,yin which- F ig. 1 is a side elevation partially in section showing themain features of the invention; and y i l Fig. 2 is a crosssectionalview of the device shown in Fig. 1 and taken substantially upon the line2-2 of Iiig. 1.

As set forth in my prior application above referred to, this inventionwill be described in connection with lthe window raising and loweringdevice, but I wish it to be understood that this particular device isused yfor illustrative purposes only, the invention being capable ofadaptation to a large variety of other uses.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a fragmentary portionof a glass window of an automobile door or similar structure, whichwindow is provided with a grooved binding strip 2 which is attached inany suitable way to a bracket 3. The sprocket chain 4 has its lower endattached to said bracket 3 by means of a pin 5 or other suitable device.The sprocket chain 4 passes lover and around a sprocket wheel G and isattached at its upper end to the spring-controlled counter-balancingdrum 7, as indicated lin dotted lines inFig. 1. The

lupper or terminal portion of the sprocket chain. however, neednotnecessarily include side links with abutting ends but may be made in theform of ordinary block and plate links, as indicated at 8, the chainbeing shown in 1 as being fully extended or unwound fromv the drum 7.The sprocket wheel 6 may be rotated in any suitable way but I haveillustrated the same as being rotated through .means of the usual crankhandle 9 whose shaft carries the gear lO which meshes with thegear l1which in turn meshes with the gear 12. Y

In thepform' of the apparatus shown in indicated by the ball 13 (Fig. 2)which is carried in a recess in the sprocket wheel 6 and adapted toengage successively a series of depressions 14 in a fixed plate 15. Thedetails of construction and operation` of this device are set forth ininy prior application and are not necessary to repeat here in connectionwith the description of the present invention.

The chain 4 is preferably composed of links having side plates withinclined abutting ends as described in my prior application abovereferred to and claimed in my prior application liled May 20,1924,Serial No. 714,628. However, the present invention is not limited tothis particular form of chain since it is applicable nto any similartype of chain where the links `are `adapted to be flexed Vin onedirection only from a straight line. a

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be noted that the block link16 being in contact with the lower surface of one tooth of thefsprocketwheel 6, the thrust produced by the downward movement of s'aid toothwill tend to cause said block link 16 to move t0- ward thefleft and thisaction, as well as a similar action upon the other .teeth of thesprocket wheel, will tend to cause the sprocket chain to becomedisengaged from the sprocket wheel. If this tendency be' not restrained,the sprocket wheel would be allowed to rotate without carrying thesprocket chain with it. To obviate this possible diliiculty I haveprovided a guide in the form of a plate 17 whose margin projects intothe path of the sprocket chain 4 and is adapted to contact with one sideof the block links of the chain, as indicated at 18 in Fig. 2. rIheupper end of this plate 17 is curved around the sprocket wheel 6 in theforni of a projection 19 which extends slightly beyond a vertical linedrawn from the axis of the sprocket wheel 6. This guide provided by themargin of the plate 17 con lines the path of the block links of thechain 4 to one which is straight until the sprocket wheel is reached andthen confines the said block links to a path corresponding to thecurvature of the sprocket wheel 6. Another function of the guide plate17 is to prevent the sprocket chain 4 from accidentally bowing` towardthe left from the position illustrated in Fig. 1, as it will be apparentthat the guiding portion 18'of the plate 17 will control the movement ofhe chain towardV the left for its entire length down to the point whereit is connected with the bracket 3 by the pin 5. Thus the sprocket chain4 is caused to act substantially like a rigid rod when the links are inalignment.

I have found that this construction efficiently controls the action ofthe 'sprocket chain without producing undue friction at any point andwithout the liability of the sharp corners of the chain coming incontact with any portion of the guide, which action would tend to injurethe guide if it did not make the motion of the chain impossible. It willthus be appreciated 4that I have produced an eliicientand simplearrangement for controlling the action of sprocket chains when it bedesired to utilize the same `to produce a thrust action as well as apulling action.

Having thus described this form of my invention what I desire to claimand'protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a device to'be operated by a sprocket chain, asprocket wheel adapted to be operated by suitable means, a sprocketchain having block links and side plates and adapted to be connectedwith the device to be operated, said side plates being in the form oflinks having abutting endv surfaces to prevent bowing rinwardly towardthe sprocket wheel aXis,

and a guiding member having anedge located' adjacent and following theLcurved path ofthe Lblock links around the sprocket wheel and having acontinuous ystraight surface extending beyond the periphery of saidsprocket wheel in the direction of the path of the chain andpositionedto engage the 'outer side of the adjacent block links of thechain and prevent the outward bowing of the chain when the links are inalignment.

2. In combination with a device to be operated by a sprocket chainhaving central block links, and external side links provided. withabutting end surfaces, a sprocket wheel adapted to engage said blocklinks, a guiding plateV having an edge located adjacent and followingthe curved path of the block links around the sprocket wheel andpi'ovidedy with a continuous straight surface extending beyond theperiphery of said sprocket wheel in the direction of said device andpositioned to engage the outer side of the adjacent block links of thechain, means for rotating said sprocket `wheel to move said device intovarious positions, and

a rotatable member upon which the inactive end of said chain is woundspirally.

B. In combination with' a window to be raised and lowered, a sprocketchain attached thereto 'and having central block links, and externalside links provided with abutting end surfaces, a sprocket wheel adaptedto engage said vblock links, means for rotating said sprocket Wheel tomove lgage the outer side of the adjacent blocik said Window, a guidingplate havingr an links of the chain, and a counterbalaneing 10 odgelocated adjacent and following the drum upon which the inactive end ofsaid curved path of the block links around the chain is Wound spirally.

sprocket Wheel and provided with a con- Signed at New York this 19th dayof tinuous straight edge extending beyond the May, 1925.

periphery of said sprocket Wheel in the direction of said device andpositioned to en- HARRY P. STEVENS.

